MUSIC

The International Belvedere Competition for singers in Vienna, which begins today, has drawn some 300 entrants from 34 countries. The weeklong contest, which awards cash prizes, engagements and contracts to the winners, is considered the largest operatic competition ever held. “There are so many important people attending this, even if you don’t win a prize there’s a good chance you might come away with a contract,” said 31-year-old U.S. entrant William Riley. The Wiener Kammeroper (Vienna Chamber Opera), organizing the seven-year-old competition with Austria’s state tobacco company, said more than 200 entrants had to be turned away.